Forming grid panel attaching mechanism

ABSTRACT

The invention is the interior face attaching mechanisms of a plastic injection molded flow-through grid forming grid panel that is used as a form for concrete/cementitious material. A “T” or nub catch is formed by the plastic injection mold halve sections at the outer ends of interior face extended vertical grids such that during a concrete/cementitious pour the “T” or nub catch, and attached forming panel connecter tie or webs, does not unduly block the flow of the concrete/cementitious material from flowing through the grid openings. The “T” or nub catch enables forming panel tie or web connecters to slide down vertically along the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel and downward attach to the “T” or nub catch.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the attaching mechanisms of a concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional, concrete forms consist of plywood or wooded and metal panels temporarily maintained in spaced apart and parallel relationship by means of ties. The concrete in poured between these forms which are then stripped away after the concrete has set up. These panels can be expensive and awkward to manufacture, store, and ship.

Alternatively and more recently forms such as insulated concrete forms with foamed plastic panel that becomes part of the poured wall or structure have gained acceptance in the construction industry. Some difficulties have developed in some applications due to the outside of the panel being made of foam plastic which include; penetrability of the foamed plastic, insect entrance questions, waterproofing difficulties, the stigma of previous stucco (EIFS) application failures and the question of fire ratings.

A description of a means of building wall forming is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,183 of Kim. Kim describes a possible metal mesh outer wall of a form but also mentions alternatively using other materials such as slate or fiberglass. Kim makes no mention of concrete, cement or polymer material flowing through the outer wall of the form but only mentions flow of concrete between mesh openings through the coupling member that holds the two sides of the form together. In McCary, U.S. 2010/0051779, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,153,046, discloses a method of assembling a plurality of modular forming units to create a freestanding structure, wherein each unit consists of a least one lattice or grid framework panel having a plurality of openings there through and another spaced apart forming panel to create a forming cavity. Concrete/cementitious flowable material is introduced into the cavity, wherein the concrete/cementitious flowable material fills the cavity and flows non-restrictively through the lattice framework panel(s) such that the cementitious material extends beyond the external surface of the lattice framework or grid panel(s) creating an external surface layer; and then allowing the material to set and become a monolithic structure. There are usually two types of concrete/cementitious form connections. The sides, top and bottom of concrete/cementitious forming panels need to connect to each other when stacking panels. The other concrete/cementitious forming panel connection is connecting one forming panel in a spaced apart, usually parallel, relationship to another concrete/cementitious forming panel to create a concrete/cementitious forming cavity. In most all concrete/cementitious forming there are concrete/cementitious form panel connecter ties or webs that maintain the spaced apart cavity formed between parallel oriented concrete/cementitious forming panels.

In manufacturing the polymer concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panel, as the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid panel described in McCary, the flow-through grid panel would need to be manufactured such that the interior face connection means of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panels should be strong enough to not come unconnected during a concrete/cementitious pour when connected by some type of interior face connection means to form panel connecting ties or webs, wherein the form panel connecting ties or webs are usually connected to other concrete/cementitious spaced apart forming panels. Also the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid panel interior face connection mechanism needs to not unduly restrict the flowable concrete/cementitious material from flowing through the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid panel grid openings. In the process of concrete/cementitious form assembly it is efficient and time saving for the panel connecter ties or webs to be able to be placed or slid down vertically and attaching to the connection mechanism on the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panels.

THE INVENTION

The invention is the interior face attaching mechanisms of a plastic injection molded flow-through grid forming panel that is used as a form for concrete/cementitious materials. The concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming interior face attaching mechanisms allows for the vertical slide down attachment of panel connecting ties or webs.

Placed periodically in vertical rows a number of the vertical oriented grids of the plastic injection molded concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel are extended out past the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel. “T's” or nubs are formed at the outer ends of the extended vertical grids by the plastic injection mold two molding halves. The plastic injection molding process has unique features that allows the melted plastic to reach all cavities of the plastic mold but the plastic injection mold needs to be able to also release the plastic molded part after the molding part has solidified. The two mold halves of the plastic injection mold release from each side of the flow-through grid forming panel and each side of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel extended vertical grid “T's” or nubs. When a panel connecter tie or web is slid down vertically along the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel the panel tie or web slides around and catches the “T's” or nubs, holding or attaching the panel connecter tie or web to the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel. Having the “T” or nub catch vertically oriented grid extended out past the interior face of the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel that during a concrete/cementitious pour the “T” or nub catch, and with attached forming panel connecter tie or webs, does not unduly block the flow of the concrete/cementitious material from flowing through the grid openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows in a front view a concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel recessed “T” or nub.

FIG. 2, in an overhead cross-sectional view, is shown the vertical column of “T” or nub concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel tie or web connection points.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows in a frontal side view the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel 10 with vertical oriented grids 11, horizontal oriented grids 12, and grid openings 13. An extended vertical grid 14 with “T” or nub catch 15 is formed at the outer end of the extended vertical grid 14.

FIG. 2, in an overhead cross-sectional view, shows the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel 10 with vertical oriented grids 11 and horizontal oriented grids 12. Extended vertical grids 14 are shown with a “T” or nub catch 15 formed by the two halve mold sections 16 and 17 of the plastic injection mold, formed at the outer ends 18 of the extended vertical grids 14. 

1-7. (canceled)
 8. Interior face attaching mechanisms of a of a manufactured plastic injection molded concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel, comprising: a. concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel, wherein a concrete/cementitious material flow-through forming panel is part of a cavity forming concrete/cementitious form where the concrete/cementitious flow-through forming panel has a lattice or grid framework of vertically and horizontally oriented grids, where during a concrete/cementitious material pour the flowable concrete/cementitious material flows non-restrictively through the lattice or grid openings and beyond the exterior surface of the flow-through grid forming panel grids, the exterior surface being that surface of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel that is opposing the concrete/cementitious forming cavity, creating an external surface layer on the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel; and b. concrete/cementitious forming panel connecter ties or webs, wherein in concrete/cementitious forming there are connection units, panel connecter ties or webs, customarily connecting a concrete/cementitious forming panel to another concrete/cementitious forming panel, maintaining a cavity formed between spaced apart parallel oriented concrete/cementitious forms; and c. the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel interior face, wherein when concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panels create a forming cavity the sides of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel facing the pour cavity are the interior faces of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel; and d. the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel exterior face, wherein when concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panels create a forming cavity the sides of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel facing opposite or away from the pour cavity are the exterior faces of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel; and e. the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel is plastic injection mold manufactured; and f. plastic injection molding mold sections or halves, wherein melted plastic is forced at high pressure into a plastic injection mold composed primarily of mold sections or halves that form the shape of the plastic part, and then when the plastic part solidifies the formed plastic part it is then released and ejected from the plastic injection mold by the separation of the mold sections or halves of the plastic injection mold; and g. vertically oriented extended grids, wherein the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel has periodically placed rows of vertically oriented grids that extend out from the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel and that are produced when the concrete/cementitious flow-through grid forming panel is injection molded manufactured; and h. the outer ends of the vertically oriented extended grids; wherein the vertically oriented extended grid has an outer end being the end of the vertically oriented extended grids oriented most outward from the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel; and i. at the outer ends of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel vertically oriented extended grids a “T” style shaped catch that is formed by the plastic injection molding mold sections or halves of the plastic injection mold such that the outward side of the “T” style shaped catch, the outward side of the “T” style shaped catch is the side or face of the “T” style shaped catch facing away from the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel, is formed by one of the plastic injection molding mold section or halves, and the inward side of the “T” style shaped catch, the inward side of the “T” style shaped catch is the side or face of the “T” style shaped catch facing the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel, and is formed by the other or opposing plastic injection molding mold section or halves; and j. The “T” style shaped catch attaching shape configuration, wherein the “T” style shaped catch shall have an attaching shape configuration that extends vertically and parallel to the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel and perpendicular to the vertically oriented extended grids.
 9. Interior face attaching mechanisms of a of a manufactured plastic injection molded concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel according to claim 8 wherein, the “T” style shaped catch attaching shape configuration formed at the outer ends of the vertically oriented grid extensions enable concrete/cementitious forming panel connecter ties or webs to slide down vertically along the interior face of the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel allowing the concrete/cementitious forming panel connecter ties or webs to catch and attach to the concrete/cementitious material flow-through grid forming panel “T” style shaped catches. 